A Wahoo Weekend

[Judge]

After spending quite a bit of time in Queensland spearing last year, Sydney Australia has seemed boring and I was pining away thinking of blue water and the rush from spearing big pelagics.

A quick flight and Sydney waters was a dim memory as I contemplated the warm blue waters of SE Queensland. My dive buddy and host had the boat and I had 2 days.

We located ourselves over huge bait schools 10km off the coast. It was obvious that I was not going to have any trouble taking wahoo... they were numerous. But the challenge was finding them above 10kgs.

I clocked one on day one about 12kgs. Then on day 2, I had a moment where I was lined up on another about the same size and I realized I was in a school of them and the biggest fish of the school was nearly in range. I remained still and the fish approached. It was a 20 kg fish. After a blistering run he succumbed.

I managed a 3kg mangrove jack at a reef on the way home.

I shot only 3 fish for the weekend but they were quality fun.

[nilsonov]

Hey judge, what is the spearing scene like in sydney? good vis? lots of variety of fish to shoot?

[Kaimana]

Nice fish!

[Ryfish]

Nice Hoos!

[nigelr]

Great work Judge. Class fish!

[Judge]

Hey judge, what is the spearing scene like in sydney? good vis? lots of variety of fish to shoot?

Hi,

The vis can vary from 3 - 5 metres through to stellar days of 20 - 25 metres. However it usually is from 8 - 12 metres. This variance is the result of different currents hitting the coast at different seasons and under different winds.

Sydney is right on the ocean with much rocky shore lines. It is quite amazing the amount of fish available right off the rocks, right on the shores of a city of 4 million people.

There are plenty of reef fish of different species, especially if you have a few hunting skills down. We have a few fish that are more popular with the experienced spearfishers. Most of the year round there are what Australians call kingfish. Known in the US as yellowtails. It is not unusually to take these regularly up to 20 -30lbs with the occassional fish over 40lb. We get a few mulloway... very similar to the white seabass. These are usually taken over the summer months and occassionally someone takes a 50lb mulloway, but that doesn't happen often. We have mahi mahi off shore at the FADs.
In summer months the odd cobia is taken and now and then someone will take a pink snapper of good size.

Cheers,

Judge

[Wahooooo!]

Beautiful fish Wayne. I hope to do one of those trips together before too long.

[Platypus]

Awesome Judge! :D

[SpearMax]

Way to go Judge! It is nice seeing you post. Hope the family is well. Tony

[kjflyfish]

Beautiful fish Wayne. I hope to do one of those trips together before too long.

You deserve another fat wahoo, amigo. Hope you get one soon!!

[Judge]

Way to go Judge! It is nice seeing you post. Hope the family is well. Tony

Hi Tony,

Yeah, the family is well. My son Ant with 3 other Sydney Freedivers have arrived in Hawaii for 3 weeks of diving and the up and coming freediving competition at Kona. That should be interesting.

All the best to you mate,

Judge